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arXiv:2605.17578

All Quantum Probability viewed in Complex Projective Geometry

Stephen Bruce Sontz

quant-phmath-phSubmitted May 17, 2026• Announced May 19, 2026• 0 citations• Revised May 23, 2026 (v2)
v1 · May 17, 2026v2 · May 23, 2026
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Abstract

In a recent paper it was shown that all the Hilbert space formulas for quantum probabilities can be realized as functions of geometric properties of the associated projective space, but those functions were expressed using the structures of the associated Hilbert space. In this paper a direct description of all these probabilities is given as formulas involving only the geometric properties of the projective space itself without referring to the associated Hilbert space theory. In large part this depends on a projection theorem for complex projective space which is analogous to the projection theorem for Hilbert spaces. The importance of this is that this exhibits quantum probability in terms of the geometry of a Riemannian metric in a non-linear Kähler manifold without any reference to a linear Hilbert space. As such this is a part of a larger program of the geometrization of physics. This opens the possibility of generalizations of quantum theory in other similar geometric settings. The theory presented includes projective spaces of both finite and infinite dimension. Some comments explain how quantum theory based on a von Neumann algebra is compatible with this approach.

Comments
12 pages, typos corrected, new reference

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In a recent paper it was shown that all the Hilbert space formulas for quantum probabilities can be realized as functions of geometric properties of the associated projective space, but those functions were expressed using the structures of the associated Hilbert space. In this paper a direct description of all these probabilities is given as formulas involving only the geometric properties of the projective space itself without referring to the associated Hilbert space theory. In large part this depends on a projection theorem for complex projective space which is analogous to the projection theorem for Hilbert spaces. The importance of this is that this exhibits quantum probability in terms of the geometry of a Riemannian metric in a non-linear Kähler manifold without any reference to a linear Hilbert space. As such this is a part of a larger program of the geometrization of physics. This opens the possibility of generalizations of quantum theory in other similar geometric settings. The theory presented includes projective spaces of both finite and infinite dimension. Some comments explain how quantum theory based on a von Neumann algebra is compatible with this approach.
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This paper proves that quantum mechanics emerges as a mathematical necessity when a deterministic classical system possesses compact Kähler dimensions inaccessible to observation. The proof rests on three independent results from established mathematics: Spectral discreteness: The spectral theorem for elliptic operators on compact manifolds guarantees a discrete eigenspectrum, producing superposition and complex phase structure. The uncertainty principle: The Gromov non-squeezing theorem establishes an irreducible lower bound on observable uncertainties, with Planck's constant identified as the symplectic capacity of the compact space. The Born rule: The unique Kähler-compatible L² inner product determines the probability rule P = |ψ|² with no alternatives. Together, these results demonstrate that the complete axiomatic structure of quantum mechanics — complex Hilbert space, superposition, interference, the uncertainty principle, the Born rule, and entanglement — is a necessary consequence of dimensional projection rather than a set of independent postulates. The paper further shows that: The complex numbers in quantum mechanics originate from the complex structure (J) of the compact manifold, providing a geometric explanation for recent experiments ruling out real-valued quantum mechanics (Renou et al., Nature 2021; Chen et al., PRL 2022). Unitary time evolution arises because the complex structure converts what would otherwise be dissipative dynamics into probability-preserving oscillation. The number field of quantum mechanics (real, complex, or quaternionic) is determined by the topology of the compact dimensions (Riemannian, Kähler, or hyperkähler respectively), making laboratory quantum experiments probes of extra-dimensional geometry. CPT symmetry corresponds to orientation-invariance of the compact manifold, connecting discrete symmetry tests to the topology of the extra dimensions. The theorem requires no physical assumptions beyond the existence of inaccessible compact Kähler dimensions. It applies to any number of dimensions, any compact Kähler geometry, and any deterministic dynamics. The paper concludes that quantum mechanics is not a law of nature but a law of perspective — the second such law in physics, following relativity. Where relativity revealed that the separation of spacetime into space and time is observer-dependent, this work shows that the separation of dynamics into deterministic and probabilistic is equally observer-dependent. Originally submitted to Foundations of Physics on March 16, 2026
Adopting a geometric point of view on Quantum Mechanics is an intriguing idea since, we know that geometric methods are very powerful in Classical Mechanics then, we can try to use them to study quantum systems. In this paper, we summarize the construction of a general prescription to set up a well-defined and self-consistent geometric Hamiltonian formulation of finite-dimensional quantum theories, where phase space is given by the Hilbert projective space (as Kähler manifold), in the spirit of celebrated works of Kibble, Ashtekar and others. Within geometric Hamiltonian formulation quantum observables are represented by phase space functions, quantum states are described by Liouville densities (phase space probability densities), and Schrödinger dynamics is induced by a Hamiltonian flow on the projective space. We construct the star-product of this phase space formulation and some applications of geometric picture are discussed.
This work concerns some issues about the interplay of standard and geometric (Hamiltonian) approaches to finite-dimensional quantum mechanics, formulated in the projective space. Our analysis relies upon the notion and the properties of so-called frame functions, introduced by Gleason to prove his celebrated theorem. In particular, the problem of associating quantum states with positive Liouville densities is tackled from an axiomatic point of view, proving a theorem classifying all possible correspondences. A similar result is established for classical-like observables (i.e. real scalar functions on the projective space) representing quantum ones. These correspondences turn out to be encoded in a one-parameter class and, in both cases, the classical-like objects representing quantum ones result to be frame functions. The requirements of [Formula: see text] covariance and (convex) linearity play a central role in the proof of those theorems. A new characterization of classical-like observables describing quantum observables is presented, together with a geometric description of the [Formula: see text]-algebra structure of the set of quantum observables in terms of classical-like ones.
This manuscript explores the Riemannian geometry of quantum state manifolds and its physical implications. We establish that quantum state manifolds, as submanifolds of Hilbert space, possess intrinsic Riemannian geometry characterized by a metric tensor derived from the Hilbert space inner product. This geometric framework reveals fundamental connections: the distance between nearby states scales with quantum fluctuations, curvature indicates state robustness, and geometric phase transitions occur in many-body systems. We review historical developments from early quantum geometry to modern quantum information geometry, and present methodologies for computing geometric quantities and their physical interpretations. Results include distance-fluctuation relations for coherent states, curvature calculations for SU(2) manifolds, and applications to quantum optimization and metrology via the quantum Fisher information metric. The discussion interprets geometric quantities in terms of uncertainty principles, state robustness, and quantum criticality, while outlining future research directions in quantum chaos-geometry correlations, non-associative geometry, and geometric quantum algorithm design. We conclude that Riemannian geometry provides a powerful framework for understanding and exploiting the structure of quantum state space, with applications across quantum information processing, metrology, and foundational physics.